Ryan J.

September 5, 1676


Dear Diary,


Oh marry! Where shall I begin? Oh right. Good day, Diary. My name is Phineas Jones, age 13 and I have a brother ,Homer Jones at age 21. My mom is Lydia Jones and she is 40 and my dad is the best dad ever - Abraham Jones. That is my family. The reason I will write is to tell thee how extraordinary I am and how hard it is now.

My family left England when I was 2 years old. We came to the New World to make money. That is why we came to Jamestown. (1. History Alive) For the first 2 years of my life I was sick, but when we set foot on Jamestown, I was fine, so we knew it was a good sign. We have two slaves that tend to the house. One is my best friend.

My dad is a tanner. I think it is unpleasant because he takes animal skin and makes it into leather. (2.If You Lived in Colonial Times.) We always got new things made out of leather because when he only had five leather things left he would give them to us. He made a lot of things, like leather breeches, leather aprons, leather caps, and leather boots. (3.If You Lived In Colonial Times.) We were doing well. Then, all of a sudden, another tanner came to town and took all of my dad’s business. So, sometimes he does not sell anything. I barely get to see my father because he is a busy man. So busy that he almost doesn’t find time to attend Sabbath. (4.IYLICT) If it wasn’t a law to go, he wouldn’t go (5.IYLICT)

My mom is a milliner. She makes more money than my dad. She designs, makes and sells ladies’ hats. (6.Merriam Webster Dictionary) My mom may offer the only chance for my brother to go to college.

Homer is struggling about going to college because my dad can’t pay for it and only rich English children can go to college. (7.IYLICT) He spends his days playing games of chase with me and doing tasks for my Pa and Ma. If he can’t go to college he wants to train to be a blacksmith because he likes to tend to our horses.

I’ll tell more about me now. I am 13 years old and 5’2”. I was born September 20 so it is 15 days till I’ll be 14 years old. I have slick black hair. I’m not so sure about this but I think I’m these traits: I’m kind, shy, smart, and weak. I have no other friends than this one slave, named George. Once George and his mom ran away, but I found them. I talked to them and convinced them how their lives were just fine. Once we almost thought of selling George because we were really dead in money.

I hope thee will find my next entries entertaining and that they show how hard it is to live in these times as a colonist.



Fare thee well,


Phineas Jones